Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-02-06

flame. The ice was several inches thick on
| the river and there was no appliance at
| hand to raise it.
Ira A. Chase, of Bristol, was at White
River Junction when the news of the dis
aster was received. He went to the wreck
on special train. His story of the aces
dent is as follows: The train left White
River Junction late, and the accident is
thought to have occurred at about 2:15
n. Ill. A broken rail was discovered some
200 feet this side of the bridge, but
whether this caused the accident or a
wheel first broke is in doubt. The loco
motive and baggage and mail cars crossed
the bridge in safety. Two passenger
coaches, the Boston sleeping car "Pilgrim"
and the Springfield sleeper ''St. Albans"
went of the bridge at the end on the right
band side and apparently turned bottom
side up in the fall. Men living nearby
stated that when they got 10 the scene
there was no fire except in the forward
passenger car, but the flames soon spread
to the other cars aGC then to the bridge.
All were consumed. Twenty-six persons,
50 far rs known, were taken out alive
from the ears which We're burned. Two
of these are understood to be Mr.. Wesson,
pistol manufacturer, of Springfield, and
Ed. Brocklebanks, brakeman, but they
died soon after.
The two passenger coaches were well
filled and every berth in the Boston sleep
ing car was occupied and twelve in the
one from Springfield, making the total
number of passengers in the wrecked cars
about eighty. This will probably make
the number of dead between fifty aud six
ty. The bridge was between thirty and
forty feet above the water, which was coY-
cred with thick ice, making it probable
that death resulted from crushing and
burning rather fron drowning. Several
were penned up in the wreck who might
have been rescued alive but for the flames
Brakeman Parker, who was on the for
ward end of the first passenger car, felt the
jar and saved his life by jumping He
quickly secured conveyance and carried
the news to White River Junction.
An occupant of the Boston sleeper,
whose name could be aScertained, passed
through here this afternoon. He says the
car was full, every berth being occupied.
The train was late out of White River
Junction, and when it left it had the
sleeper from Springfield, besides 4 pasSen-
ger car. fIe thinks it must have been
about 2:l0 O'Clock in the morning when he
was awakened by the quivering Of the car,
as if it was off the rails This movement
he noticed but q short time, when he be-
came conscious that the coach had gone
over the abutment of the bridge and was
sinking with frightiul rapidity. To add to
L., klA N,rr IL
down, and when it struck the ice in the
river the top crushed in.
He occupied the lower berth, and by
almost Superhuman eXertiOns succeeded in
extricating himself from the wreck He
was well acquainted with the occupant of
the upper bertha Boston gentleman-and
rs quickly rs possible set himself at work |
to relieve his friend. He worked with en-
ergy, and by kind words cheered him, but
his efforts proved unsuccessful, and he was
finally driven away by the flames, and be-
came an involuntary witness of the hOrri |
BILE death Of his companion, who was
burned before his eyes lie saw quite q
number of persons rescued, many with
severe bruises and burns.
But few bodies had been taken out when
lie leiJ. Az ludJ llule IL WIS llll lpOSSlOlc W
ascertain the names or the number OF the
victims. He expressed the belief, how
ever, that not less than thirty persons
were killed. The railroad bridge took lire
from the wreck and was totally destroyed.
The accident is the most terrible of any
that has ever occurred in Northern New
England.
4 dispatch from Boston says: No list
of patrons of the sleeping car on last
nights Montreal express was taken in this
city, so the railroad officials can give no
names. The employees at the station, how
ever, say that there could not have been
more than dozen through passengers
from this city. Eleven pieces of baggage
were registered, but only the numbers
were taken. A large party of BOStonianS,
ladies' and gentlemen, were to leave here
on the late train this afternoon for Mon
treal 10 attend the carnival. The accident
Mt Woodstock will prevent some of them
from taking the trip A private dispatch
to the railroad mail department in Boston
says that the mail and mail car on the train
are uninjuTed.